Is sex better than skydiving? 'Better' is, of course, a very relative term. In my opinion, skydiving is a FAR more compelling activity. Free fall, for me, is an experience comparable to no other. At the same time, sexual intercourse can be sustained far longer than the 30-40 seconds of free fall. Therefore, sex, as a sustained activity, may have almost as many cumulativie 'rewards', and, there can be no question, that sex is a compelling and sometimes compulsive activity.

Sex, at the same time, is necessary to the maintainance of the species and, as such, is common to virtually all humans. Skydiving obviously isn't so the desire to skydive just has to be a more exotic and intense...to those who wish to experience truly different things.

I'll give you a personal example. I know a man in South Africa who raises lions for the canned hunting market...in which one or more male lions are released onto 2,000 or more acres and 'hunted'. I am a hunter but, to me, hunting semitame [but thoroughly dangerous] cats doesn't compare to true hunting. I got to thinking about it, though. Maybe I could make a truly canned lion hunt, mano a mano, my life against the lion's at nearly equal odds for each of us. I envisioned a situation in which I entered the lion's pen [about 200 feet square] with an antique, single shot, black powder, muzzle loading weapon. My entry into the pen should produce an instant charge [these lions charge humans standing outside the cage].

In any event, when the lion charges, I have exactly one chance. Antique muzzleloaders are notoriously unreliable. Because of the ignition system, many fail to fire...a fact that gives the lion a certain real advantage. Even if the rifle fires, I could miss or produce a nonlethal hit. In either case the lion 'wins'. Even if the lion is hit properly and is 'dead on his feet' he may reach me with plenty of power to tear me apart. My only chance is to kill the lion instantaneously.

So I talked to my friend and he told me he wouldn't permit it because it was 'against the law.' Too bad. It would have made a great video. Well I'd never thought about skydiving before but immediately considered it as an alternative. I've done a number of jumps now and it is both terrifying and thrillilng in equal measure. I still want to get in the cage with the lion, though.

Ron